Recipe: Black Bean & Quinoa Burrito

"Beans are neither fruit nor musical." -Bart Simpson

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Black beans and quinoa may be my favorite combination of any two foods...ever. As simple as they may seem, I really love them so much that I have incorporated them as a staple of my diet. Not only do they taste wonderful, but their nutritional value may be unparalleled.

Black beans provide a virtually fat-free high quality protein, tons of naturally occurring antioxidants, and a high fiber content that moderates blood sugar levels after a meal. It's tough to find a legume that nutritious --and delicious.

I would call quinoa a vegetarians best friend. I heard many refer to it as a "super grain"...but that would be incorrect as it is a seed, not a grain. The historical significance of quinoa and the rise of the Incan Empire is well documented, and we are quite forunate that the seed was able to survive after it was deemed "worthless" and burned en masse by Spanish Conquistadores. The beauty of quinoa is that it is a complete protein...that is, it can supply all the essential amino acids the human body cannot synthesize itself. This is a tremendous benefit for herbivores whose diets often lack many of these amino acids which are typically found in flesh/meat.

During my time traveling and living in parts of Central and South America I noticed that it is not common for black beans and quinoa to be paired together. In Central America the traditional plate "casado" (meal of the day...which literally translates to "married") consists of white rice and black beans...usually supplemented with fried plantains...and occasionally chicken or beef for the "affluent". Black beans popularity seems to drop significantly south of Ecuador...they are virtually non-existent in southern Peru and Chile. Quinoa seems to take over here where the black beans popularity wanes...with Quinoa being readily available in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. The one unifying element of this burrito is the avocado...also know as aguacate or palta. It runs the gamut and is popular across all the Americas. (These observations are largely based off of my personal experiences on the western half of South America.)

Ingredients
0.5 cup organic quinoa
1-2 tablespoons avocado oil
1-2 pinches of celtic sea salt
1.5 cups organic black beans (canned or soaked/sprouted)
0.5 cup chopped organic tomatoes (whatever your favorite variety)
2 handfuls organic spinach (chopped if desired)
1 handful fresh organic cilantro, chopped
0.5 cup fresh organic onion (whatever your favorite variety)
1 organic avocado, sliced into small wedges
2-4 cloves organic garlic, sliced...then minced/pressed 10 minutes later
~1 tablespoon organic ground cumin
~1 teaspoon organic paprika
~1 teaspoon organic oregano
1 organic lime or lemon
1-2 tortillas/wraps (or chard/kale for a vegan alternative)
(optional) organic salsa
(optional) hot sauce (cholula and tabasco are my favorites)
(Most of these measurements are estimates...I usually just do it all by sight.)

Equipment
1 Stove
1 Cutting board
1 Large saucepan with lid (for simmering quinoa)
1 Medium pot (for black beans)

Steps:
1. Put the half cup of quinoa in the large saucepan, and add 1 - 1.25 cups of filtered water. Add avocado oil and celtic sea salt, then turn on heat and simmer on low until water has evaporated (8-12 minutes).

2. While your quinoa is simmering, rinse your black beans well and stick them into a suitable pot and fill with filtered water just below the level of the black beans. Add the cumin, paprika, and oregano...then stir it up good so it's evenly dispersed with the beans. Cook the black beans on medium or medium-low, but don't let them boil aggressively. (You can add the onions at this point if you like them soft, or at the end of you like them crunchy...or do half-and-half.)

3. At this point I usually peel my garlic cloves and slice them three-quarters deep, both vertically and horizontally. Apparently this starts the allinase reaction which helps boost ones immunity...let them stand until the quinoa is done simmering.

4. Prepare all other ingredients...chop up your tomatoes, onion, and cilantro. Prepare your spinach (or other leafy greens), and slice up your avocado. I usually season my avocado with a little celtic sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

5. Once the water has evaporated from the quinoa (the trick is not to leave your quinoa too soggy, and to not let it burn) turn off the heat, keep the lid on, and let it sit for 3-4 minutes (this produces softer quinoa). Now mince or press the garlic gloves into the black bean concoction, stir it up well, and let it cook for a little while longer.

6. If you're making vegetarian burritos, you can use traditional tortillas or wraps. I used Trader Joe's organic olive oil wraps for this one. Heat your tortillas/wraps over an open burner until it has reached your desired warmth. For vegan burritos, try using chard or kale as the wrapping device.

7. Lastly, scoop the quinoa on to the tortilla/wrap, then the black bean concoction, then add the rest. Throw on some fresh salsa, lime, and/or hot sauce to spice it up a bit. Hopefully yours turns out as well as mine did...it really hit the spot on that cold winter night.

End Notes:
I highly recommend modding this recipe to fit your own personal tastes. I'm a bit of a garlic and cilantro fiend so I throw a lot of those two into mine...find out what works best for you and your preferences. I also encourage you to return back and share your experiences and any suggestions you may have.